This and That
by Mustardlover16
Summary: Follow the couple as they fight to maintain balance and control on the small scale. Not everything they do has to be about saving the world. Collection of one shots.
1. Restless Sleeper

**Warning: if you have not read City of Glass or any of the books after there are a few slight spoilers in the first paragraph. After that though, you're good.**

Since meeting Jace there have only been a few nights when I slept soundly. In fact I can count those merciful nights on one hand. The first was the night was the first night I spent in the infirmary at the Institute. The second was the night Jace snuck into my room in Alicante. And the third, the night Jace and I found out we weren't siblings. The last is iffy at best, what with all the other issues we had to deal with, but it was a little relief in itself.

Realize that every single one of those nights was related with Jace. I'm sure you caught it, I just thought I'd point it out.

Anyway, tonight was no different. I had woken up twice in my bed at the institute already, but each time I woke with more and more anxiety. It was building, getting worse. This time I gasped awake, drenched in sweat. This I was used to though. I was always particular about the temperature of my room, it had to be cold. And I do mean _cold._

I leaned against the headboard heaving in gasps of frigid air. This needed to quit. What I realized soon after the restless nights started was that everything gets harder with little sleep. _Everything._

That was the last straw. I went into the bathroom connected to my room and washed my face. It always helped me relax and refocus. I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing the sleep lines and dark bags that I had grown accustomed to seeing were deepening and darkening.

Without a second thought I slunk out of my room, down the hallway and into Jace's room. I was careful to look around, make sure no one was watching. Not that I much care what they think, but this really didn't give off such a good image of me.

Once inside I quietly closed his door. A shock went through me as I turned too look and I almost screamed. Jace sat cross legged on his bed watching me calmly in the dark. "Come here often?" Jace said slowly.

"By the Angel, Jace you scared me."

"I can't say that anyone has ever said that to me. It's almost always 'By the Angel Jace, you're stunningly attractive' or 'dazzlingly hot'."

His sarcasm, while almost always annoying, was something I found comfort in now, as in other times of stress. It's a normal place to be, a relaxed, easy place. I stumbled over to him, my bare feet scraping against the rough hard wood. He opened his arms wide and I let myself fall into him, slumping against him as much as possible. "Another rough night?" He said into my ear, lovingly concerned.

I snorted into his shoulder, "How could you tell?"

"I heard you all the way from in here. You kept knocking into the wall as yous slept. I was just about to go in and wake you when you came in."

I must seem so weak to him. Pathetic. I groaned. It's a good thing Isabelle and Maryse were in Alicante finishing up business and Alec had taken to staying at Magnus'. I realized there wouldn't have been anyone to see me come into Jace's room, so my sneaking was for nothing. Like I said, without sleep everything gets harder. That includes thinking.

Jace leaned back, pulling me with him, so that I remained on top of him. "Come on, then." He whispered when I resisted slightly. I relaxed and let him pull me down. When he was settled I was leaning on my forearms, which were resting on his chest, and looking down at him.

His index finger slid along the top of my nose, gliding down to my cheek bones, moving on to my eyes lips and cheeks, tracing and teasing. Enticing.

His eyes remained on mine, and his smile, though faint, coaxing one out of me as well. Both our smiles were small but content and lazy. Again he made it seem as if he could do anything and make it seem easy.

After a while my eyelids began to droop. I fought it. "Go to sleep. I promise I'll be right here when you wake."

I shook my head, half knowing I probably looked like a stubborn child. "No."

He stretched his head up, touched my nose with his and against my lips he said, "I promise."

It made me want to, I'll tell you what. The way he said it was seductive and enticing. I leaned forward as he leaned back. His head hit the pillow and my lips hit his as it did so. He complied, pressing his lips against mine. Both his hands rested against either side of my head, his thumbs latched behind my ears as he pulled me closer. I fisted his shirt. I didn't think it was possible to get any closer, but hell if I didn't try.

He released me a while later, running his fingers through my curls. "Was that enough?" His voice was proud, like it surprised him that he could have that kind of effect on me.

"Never." I leaned in again but he stopped me. Leaning his head he kissed my throat lightly, kissed my cheek and finally my nose.

"Sleep."

His hands directed my head to his chest but this time I didn't resist. I released his shirt but left my hands were they were.

Hoping he would hear me through my sleep-slurred voice I mumbled, "I always wanted a guardian angel and now I have one."

I felt his chuckle against my cheek. "And now, so do I."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! I know I did while writing it. What can I say, I'm hopeless! More coming, but it might be a while. Most likely this won't be a continuous story but more a collection of one-shots, unless circumstances change. Please review or send me a request!**


	2. So Close, Yet So Far

**Based during/around the second book. **

She was on the far side of the room, hiding. Not from the demons, Jace had seen to it that they were long gone. No, now she hid from Jace. There was nothing wrong with him, in fact this was one of their better days. No, Clary hid out of humiliation.

The day could have been fine, good even. It would be one of the very few since Jace and Clary had found out their joint parentage. They were slowly, oh, so slowly learning to deal. It wasn't really dealing with it either, it was more that they were pretending it never happened and trying to hide their feelings for each other. Neither of which was easy or working.

They had been fine, content but still restrained. The strain was always there, holding them back. There was never any room to be happy or comfortable, but they had been content. They had spent the day with Alec and Isabelle which relieved some of the tension. They hadn't had much to do so they spent the day out on the town, strolling and window shopping.

Alec and Isabelle had left to meet their mother for training. That's when the demons ambushed them. The real surprise wasn't the demons themselves but the fact that neither Clary (and most surprisingly) Jace hadn't noticed until the demons were right on top of them.

Of course, with next to no training Clary was no help. Which is why she was hiding in humiliation now. Jace had had to fight off all the demons, playing hero while Clary played the damsel like usual. And she hated it. Every time something happened she cowered while around her people she loved defended and protected her.

It made her feel weak, so weak, and useless. There was no way to get around the feeling. Clary had always found pride in the fact that she was a strong person, an independent person but all that changed when she met Jace.

That was when her world had changed and she was no longer the protector, but the protected, no longer the strong, but the one needing strength. No longer independent, but the one depending on others, always needing help. How was she supposed to _not_ feel weak?

Jace was making his way to her. She pressed herself closer to the wall, wishing she could disappear. She leaned her head against the wall, considering banging her head against the wall to force unconsciousness. It would be a painful way to avoid the situation. She could pretend to have fainted of fear but she would only end up facing a larger amount of embarrassment later.

His steps were slightly more rushed then usual, picking through the rubble of the abandoned building they had wound up in. He knelt down in front of Clary. "Are you alright?" There it was. Like she was fragile. What hurt the most was that she _couldn't _take care of herself. It wasn't a matter of Jace being overprotective, it was that he had to do it, or someone would.

Gritting her teeth she ground out, "Yeah. Fine."

His concern obviously grew at that point. His eyes scanned her quickly, not lingering as they might have at one time. He was trying to be quick, keep his glance clinical, but to her his eyes were always an open book. Behind the concern there was a want, a want that, if they both would be honest with themselves, would never go away.

"Whats wrong?" He asked quietly.

"Nothing."

"Alright."

"Don't say it like that." Frustration crept into her voice.

"Like what?"

"Like you don't believe me."

"It's not my fault you're lying." He argued right back, quick as ever. That much would never change about Jace. That was one comforting thought she held onto. When everything was different, when they were two different people who's lives couldn't coincide in the right way, Jace would still be the same. Even though everything was different, he was the same.

"So are you going to tell me why you're embarassed or am I going to have to make up a humiliating story and tell everyone we know? It could end very badly for you. My imagination is...Vivid."

"I-" There was no getting out of it now and she knew it. "I just hate being weak, that's all. It's nothing, I'm just being stupid."

"That would be a accurate assessment."

She shot him a glare. "Thanks for that. Why don't you just rub some salt in my wounds while you're at it?"

"Don't be silly. Lemon juice would be easier to use and much more effective."

They stared at each other for a while, two opposing forces of bullheaded, stubborn pride.

Jace relented, "You were being stupid. You're one of the strongest people I know." His eyes wouldn't meet hers, it would be too cruel for both.

"Now who's the liar?" She muttered.

"You know just as well as I that I am not lying. You may not have the bulking muscle I do, but you're brave, and smart. There isn't a single weakness in you."

Tears sprung to her eyes. She was touched, truly.

"Let's go, Fray." He said it simply, not unkindly.

He stood, and held out his hand, a reflex. That one move hurt more than any blow she could take, any rune she could burn into her skin. She flinched. Jace jumped back. "Clary- I'm sorry-I... I didn't mean to-" his voice cut off abruptly and if Clary was right about Jace (and she almost always was) it was out of emotion.

She couldn't be around him. It was too hard. It brought up to many painful memories of-of what could have been, but never would be. On the other hand, she couldn't _not_ be with him. Being with him was like breathing, like the beating of her heart. Without him-no, there was no without him, not anymore.

The tears she held threatened to spill. "No. It's not your fault, never your fault." She choked out. He stood above her, looking at a spot on the wall right above her head. His gaze finally rested on her as she shook with emotion, with raw pain. Slowly he reached out and grasped her forearm. She gripped his arm tightly and he pulled her up.

They stood for a moment, arm in arm. Reluctantly, Jace let her go and she did the same. She stood there, looking at her feet. She stared at one floorboard, stared at it so hard. She tried to concentrate on breathing, on gulping past the lump in her throat.

He too remained where he was, watching the emotions flashing on Clary's face, her beautiful face. The face of his sister. Suddenly he had to clear his throat around the lump that had formed there.

She took a small step toward him, and his eyes darted to follow her movements. She took another step and curled into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. His mindset was this when placed his arms around her shoulders and squeezed back: 'Siblings hug. Brothers and sisters comfort each other. It's normal. Perfectly acceptable.'

Clary gasped in a deep breath. It smelled of Jace, a mix of a slight burnt scent as a result of his many marks and a more musky distinctly male scent.

She blew out the breath in a puff and pulled away. "I have to go, Jace. I just-I have to get away for a while."

"Don't go far, just...Just in case we need you...Or something."

"I'm always a phone call away." She turned and left.

"A phone call and a couple broken hearts."

**A/N: Two chapters in one day! I'm tired! Hope you all enjoyed!**


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